Multilevel governance in times of COVID-19 pandemic. Patterns of legitimacy and governance capacity

Abstract

Developing multilevel governance capacity is key to deal with crises in a legitimate and effective manner. But how does multilevel governance manifest in response to COVID-19 in the Netherlands? The study shows low to absent multilevel governance capacity, with strong central government authority and limited regional governance. We found that multilevel governance only benefits an effective crises response if the regional level has three assets authority, capacity and legitimacy to vertically connect with decision-making processes in the upper tiers of government. This puts emphasis on developing vertical and horizontal relationships between various governmental levels and authorities in times of crises.